I was visiting a supplier of mine recently that has the scanner and software to make a quick 3D scan and on screen model for the replica items we sell at the sites. This means they don't have to completely re model the items in wax from scratch each time as they can 3D print the item (at any scale) and wit some quick trimming and tidying they have a base model to start a new sculpt from or a new scaled model for an alternate purpose; such as taking a 30cm sculpture item and shrinking it with pretty perfect detail to the size of a thimble so it can be put inside a snow globe...
So, as part of their demonstration they started scanning a cat model, pretty standard tourist humour and part way through they said, "oh, wait a minute, we should scan something more relevant... how about one of your items"... in a split second I mis-read the 'lets scan a model we make of one of your castles' for something more personal... I reached in my pocket and I pulled out an Emperor figure I picked up at a boot fair the weekend. Lots of laughs and then they had the figure in hand and scanned it.
One hour later (I insisted they make him at least double scale, they did three times) as I didn't want any fakery being done and this was in hand:
It was pretty shocking how easy this was to do and pretty impressive as to how much fun you could have with this kind of kit if using it for the right rather than wrong reasons. I guess there is a similarity to Gentle Giant scans and creations, but effectively in an instant, there is of course a potentially darker option to all this tech. Lets remember this is a prototyping printer, not a high end one they did this on, so thee is no fooling anyone with the finish even at the correct scale, their though best kit can be almost line free and they seemed to suggest it can print multiple colours too! :shock:
I was going to trim him up and paint him, but the more I look at him, the more I like him just the way he is.
Be interesting to hear thoughts and of course if anyone else has seen this kind of kit in action themselves.
So, as part of their demonstration they started scanning a cat model, pretty standard tourist humour and part way through they said, "oh, wait a minute, we should scan something more relevant... how about one of your items"... in a split second I mis-read the 'lets scan a model we make of one of your castles' for something more personal... I reached in my pocket and I pulled out an Emperor figure I picked up at a boot fair the weekend. Lots of laughs and then they had the figure in hand and scanned it.
One hour later (I insisted they make him at least double scale, they did three times) as I didn't want any fakery being done and this was in hand:
It was pretty shocking how easy this was to do and pretty impressive as to how much fun you could have with this kind of kit if using it for the right rather than wrong reasons. I guess there is a similarity to Gentle Giant scans and creations, but effectively in an instant, there is of course a potentially darker option to all this tech. Lets remember this is a prototyping printer, not a high end one they did this on, so thee is no fooling anyone with the finish even at the correct scale, their though best kit can be almost line free and they seemed to suggest it can print multiple colours too! :shock:
I was going to trim him up and paint him, but the more I look at him, the more I like him just the way he is.
Be interesting to hear thoughts and of course if anyone else has seen this kind of kit in action themselves.
